Sassa has new grant online booking system

WHILE a new South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) online booking system for Temporary Disability Grant assessment has been welcomed, calls have been made for it also to function in other languages.

In efforts to improve service delivery and eradicate long queues at Sassa offices, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu yesterday launched an online system that disability grant applicants can use to book their medical assessments.

Once operational, applicants could cut down on transport costs as they won’t have to physically visit their local Sassa office for this part of the application process.

At the end of last year, more than 200000 clients were left stranded after grant payments lapsed, with the Western Cape mostly affected.

This saw chaos erupt, especially in Bellville, where the pilot phase of the national project begins.

Zulu said of the 42 employees at the Bellville office, 10 had been trained to assist clients to apply online and they were expecting to train more people at other branches during the roll-out.

“Sassa, in collaboration with GovChat, developed the Online Booking System for Medical Assessments.

“Once the client has registered a medical assessment appointment on the app, the applicant has the right to choose their preferred clinic or hospital on the appointment date for the medical assessment,” said Zulu.

Social development standing committee chairperson Gillion Bosman said the agency must strive to be as inclusive as possible and other South African languages must be accommodated in the next iteration of the platform.

“Albeit years late, we welcome Sassa to the 21st century. We do hope that this technology will be effectively implemented and that management of the contract with GovChat is cost-effective so as to avoid wasting money on service providers.”

Sassa acting regional executive manager Abraham Mahlangu said the roll-out of the technology would be in English for now, but would be expanded in time.